


Baby, I'm Right Here

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Drunken Confessions, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Masturbation, Phone Calls & Telephones, Pining, Skype, Skype Sex, drunk sex?, possibly dubcon because Louis initiates skype sex while he's drunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-25 22:23:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12045519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: Seven years. They’ve been best friends for seven years now and Harry’s only recently realized that his feelings for Louis have never actually been all that platonic. He’s never going to say anything because he’s pretty sure that if they ever had a chance for something more, that ship has probably sailed. And it probably doesn’t help that they live an ocean apart either. That ship is long gone, far over the horizon.orHarry and Louis are best friends who live on different continents and may or may not be in love with each other.





	Baby, I'm Right Here

**Author's Note:**

> The title is From Zayn and Sia's new song "Dusk Till Dawn". 
> 
> This fic is for the MITAM Fest and based off of "What A Feeling".
> 
> Both songs fueled this fic so much.
> 
> Special thank you's to Michelle, Molly, Jacky and Lisa for being the most amazing betas. And more thank you's to The Writing Dead and Write Here, Write Now for being the best, most supportive cheerleaders ever.

“She doesn’t seem to get the hint that I’m gay,” Harry laments over the phone to his best friend.

Seven years. They’ve been best friends for seven years now and Harry’s only recently realized that his feelings for Louis have never actually been all that platonic. He’s never going to say anything because he’s pretty sure that if they ever had a chance for something more, that ship has probably sailed. And it probably doesn’t help that they live an ocean apart either. That ship is long gone, far over the horizon.

“Oh my god,” Louis laughs through the wire. “I can call her if you want. ‘Hello, I’m calling on behalf of our dear friend Harold. As a respected co-worker and beloved friend of his, there’s something you really need to know.’” Louis takes a breath like he would if he were actually giving the girl this news and Harry’s already giggling on his end of the phone line. “’He’s gay, Petra. I know! I know. I would be heartbroken, too. But that’s just the way it is, love. I’m so sorry.’” He tsks pitifully, keeping up the act and Harry wishes he were right next to him.

“Please don’t call her,” Harry begs through a laugh, as he turns on the television. He flips through the movies on Netflix as Louis promises that there’s no way he’ll call her. He doesn’t even have her number “for fuck’s sake, Harry”. Harry laughs because he knows Louis is just picking on him and he may or may not  _ love it _ .

“What are we watching tonight?” Louis inquires, probably flipping through the choices on Netflix as well.

“I dunno,” Harry hums, getting situated on the couch, tucking his feet underneath him. He’s shirtless in oversized joggers and terribly comfy. He stops pressing buttons on the remote control when he sees an old favorite on his screen. Not just any favorite. A go-to favorite when Harry is feeling a little down. “Oh look, The Wedding Planner is on Netflix now.”

Louis chuckles, “Another romcom, H?”

“So, I’m a romantic,” Harry shrugs to himself. “I like romcoms. Everyone gets a happy ending.”

“Aww,” Louis coos playfully back at him. “You’ll get your happy ending one day, too, H. I promise.”

Harry sighs. It may be a recent discovery but Harry knows who he wants and he’s as okay as he can be knowing that he’ll never have him. He doesn’t really need anyone else as long as Louis is in his life. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other in person, going on five years now, and there are times when Harry misses the physicality of their friendship like an ache in his bones, but time and distance haven’t been able to sever their friendship. Harry can be happy just knowing that Louis will always be there, even if it’s only his voice comforting Harry when he hurts, an image on a screen smiling at him when he’s celebrating.

“Thanks, Lou,” Harry tells him as he starts flipping through choices again. Maybe a romcom isn’t what he needs tonight.  “Hey, Deadpool is on here.”

Louis laughs. It sounds full bodied and glorious. “Now  _ that’s _ my kind of romcom,” Louis tells him. “Just a second. Let me find it.”

Harry waits, biting back a retort about how full of shit Louis is. Harry knows for a fact that Louis loves romcoms just as much as he does. He stays quiet, holding onto Louis’ secret,as Louis starts in on how hot Ryan Reynolds is until they screw up his face in the movie. Instead of ribbing Louis about their mutual love for all that is lovey-dovey, he joins in on the cheering that inevitably happens as Deadpool beats most of the bad guys in the opening scene. Because that’s what best friends do. They keep each other’s secrets. And, at least for the time being, best friends is all they are.

*

“Bye, Michelle!” Harry waves to his co-worker as he rushes out of the school building where he works. It’s nearly five and he’s going to be late getting home for his weekly skype date with Louis if he doesn’t hurry. The six hour time difference between them is a real killer sometimes but it also means that when they have their weekly skype date, Harry gets to see Louis at his softest, all cuddly and ready for bed. Harry loves it far more than he’s willing to admit.

His laptop, already set up because Harry never wants to have to waste time when it comes to Louis, is already alerting him to an incoming call when Harry gets his front door unlocked. He rushes over, tossing his keys on the small counter that separates the kitchen from the living room, and leaves the front door wide open as he accepts the call before it disconnects.

“I’m here. I’m here,” he pants as Louis’ face comes into focus on the left side of his screen, his own face taking a little longer to show.

“Running home to see me, Haz?” Louis smirks as he takes in Harry’s appearance.

He must be sweating like crazy, the heat in Mexico is off the charts this time of year even this late in the afternoon, but he smiles back. He can’t help smiling at Louis. “Always,” he answers, still breathing heavily. “Sorry,” Harry says, picking up the laptop and carrying it with him to shut his front door and lock it behind him. “I got caught up at school.”

“Ah,” Louis hums in understanding. “How are the little monsters?”

Harry smiles as he moves back to settle on his couch because they both know Harry loves the kids he teaches, but as the big brother of six younger siblings, Louis is also well aware of how difficult it can be to keep so many kids in check. “They’re great.  _ I’m _ a little worse for wear but…” Harry trails off with a shrug, setting the laptop on his lap.

“You look great,” Louis assures him. “Tired, but wonderful.”

Harry ducks his head at the compliment, letting his long hair fall forward and hopefully curtain the blush on his cheeks. “You too, Lou,” he says, utterly sincere.

Louis chuckles as he looks down at himself in his joggers and loose jumper. Harry loves the way that the jumper hangs off of him, making him look so small and cute. He bets it would fit him perfectly if he were to end up in Louis’ clothes for some reason. Aaaand that is where he cuts  _ that _ thought off, cheeks burning as Louis raises his head to look back at him.

“I look wonderfully ready for bed,” he jokes.

“Well, yeah,” Harry takes the opening, playing it off like he’s not a total sap in love with his best friend. “I have to wait at least four more hours for bed if I don’t want to be picked on for being a pensioner.”

Louis shakes his head with another laugh. “I mean, you do act like an old man at least sixty percent of the time.”

“Heeeeyyyy,” Harry drawls, beaming with a smile he can’t tamp down, proving that he’s not actually offended. 

“Relax, Curly,” Louis tells him, leaning a little closer to the camera and Harry’s not sure if he’s doing it on purpose until Louis winks at him. “S’part of the reason I like you so much. You can be the grown up while I act out all I want.”

The smirk on Louis’ face suggests he might be kidding but Harry knows better, knows  _ Louis _ , the boy who’s always been afraid to grow up, especially when he was forced to early on in order to help take care of his siblings. It might bother some people, being the more mature person in a relationship, but Harry relishes it, loves that he’s the one person that can give this to Louis.  Besides, he can act out too when Louis talks him into it, or he  _ could _ back when they were existing side by side. It’s a lot harder being on different continents.

“Watch it, young man,” Harry admonishes playfully, drawing the laugh he was looking for from Louis.

“Looks like you’re a pensioner no matter what you do, Haz,” Louis jokes.

“Well, at least I’ve still got my hair,” Harry replies, running a hand through his long, curly mane with an air of superiority.

“Yes,” Louis agrees with a smile. “You’re a rather attractive old timer.”

Harry knows it’s a joke but that doesn’t stop the skip in his heartbeat at Louis’ words. He smiles at the compliment. He’ll take it. He’ll take anything Louis offers him.

“So,” he starts. Harry recognizes the need for a change of subject to get them back on track. “How’s London?”

“Wet,” Louis replies, picking up his computer and taking it with him to lie on his bed. He lies on his side and leans on one elbow, propping his chin in his hand. “Boring. Missing one curly best friend.”

“Yeah, well, Mexico has a ton of sassy men with great arses,” Harry says. “I haven’t missed you at all.”

Louis’ jaw drops in offense. “ _ Harry _ . You little shit! Nobody has a better arse than mine.”

Harry squints his eyes, scrunching his face in consideration before shrugging and admitting defeat. “Fair point. I guess I’ve missed you a little. Just your arse though.”

Louis rolls his eyes in response. “I poured out my heart to you and all you care about is my arse?  _ Typical _ .”

Harry giggles, he loves their play flirting/banter  _ thing _ that they do. It helps a little to keep his feelings in check. He can admit to things he shouldn’t under the guise of a joke. “Of course I miss you, Lou,” Harry says when his laughter calms. “Always.”

“ _ There’s _ the soppy Hazza I know and love,” Louis tells him, once again wearing a smile that screams of fondness.

Harry has to fight to keep from going all gooey at that. It’s difficult but he thinks he manages. “So, what have you been up to today?” Harry asks. If he wants to keep succeeding at not becoming a puddle of mush under Louis’ gaze, he needs the attention off of himself as soon as possible.

Louis sighs, and rolls over onto his back so that Harry can only see his profile. What a profile it is though. Harry’s always thought Louis was beautiful, all sharp angles and soft curves, he just thought maybe he’d always admired Louis because he wanted to look like him, it hadn’t occurred to him that it could be actual attraction because that felt too forbidden to even think about.

He scrubs at his face and Harry watches him, concern filling his gut. It’s not like Louis to not make a joke or try to convince Harry that everything’s fine, even when it’s not. “What is it, Lou? What’s wrong?”

Louis sighs again, letting his arms fall limply to his sides as he stares up at his ceiling. “I think the paper is closing down.”

“What?” Harry gasps, heart clenching for Louis. The newspaper that Louis’ been at for the last three years has been his whole life. “Did they tell you that?”

“No…,” Louis hesitates. “But they’re making layoffs. They cut the entertainment section by half today.”

“Oh, Louis,” Harry breathes. “Have they—?”

“No,” Louis answers before Harry can even get the question out, already knowing what he’s going to ask. “One of the other photographers quit last week, so there’s only two of us currently. I think I’m safe for now.”

“I’m so sorry, Louis.” It’s times like these when Harry really hates that he can’t reach out and touch Louis, wrap him in his arms, hold him and tell him that everything will be alright.

Louis turns back to his screen. He gives Harry a tired half smile. “It’s not your fault, Curly.  You’ve been the best part of my day, actually.”

Harry feels absolutely no reservations about smiling at Louis’ words and offering a “same” that makes Louis’ sad little grin grow to the full force of its power.

“ _ Sap _ ,” he says with a shake of his head but Harry knows he’s just diverting from the fact that he’s the one who started it. Harry doesn’t mind. He  _ is _ a bit of a sap when it comes to Louis. Always has been and, he suspects, always will be.

*

“Haz! Been a while since I heard from you,” Niall laughs as he answers the phone.

Harry pulls his phone away from his ear and checks the screen in confusion. Niall is a mutual friend from secondary school, but Harry was certain he’d called Louis just now. Seeing that he has, in fact, dialed the right number, he puts his phone back to his ear.

“—arry?”

“Niall? I thought you were in Ireland visiting family,” Harry says as he walks out of the school building. “Why are you answering Louis’ phone?” It’s movie night again and Michelle gave him a great film recommendation earlier that he’s been wanting to run past Louis for them to watch together.

“I  _ was _ in Ireland. Just got back yesterday! Me and Liam are dragging Louis out for a boy’s night. We’d invite you, but boy’s night would be over by the time you got here,” Niall laughs at his own joke, unable to tell the way Harry’s footsteps slow with each word, something ugly churning in his belly.

“Oh,” Harry mutters, “and he’s going?”

“Of course, he’s going!” Niall answers even as Harry can hear Louis in the background.

“ _ Is that Harry _ ?” He hears and his heart lifts because there’s no way that Louis is going to ditch him. He never has before, he won’t now.

There’s a ruckus on the other end of the phone and Harry hears muffled sounds and grunts from over the line.

“Bye, Harry!” Niall yells before Louis is breathing down the line.

“Harry, hey,” he says, sounding breathless. If Harry had to guess, Louis probably had to wrestle the phone from Niall.

“Hey, Louis.” Harry immediately feels better just hearing Louis’ voice. He smiles even though there’s no one there to see it. It’s an involuntary reaction by now.

Louis is quiet for a few seconds and Harry immediately knows without Louis saying a word,  _ because _ Louis isn’t saying a word… he’s being ditched. His smile fades and his heart aches a little.

“So, boy’s night, huh?” Harry asks, bringing up the topic so that Louis doesn’t have to find a way to break it to him gently.

“Yeah,” Louis says quietly. “I didn’t want to go but Niall and Liam have ganged up on me.”

“It’s alright,” Harry tells him, though he’s not absolutely certain that it’s true.  “You can’t sit at home all the time just talking to  _ me _ .” He laughs like it’s a joke but it sounds pathetic even to his own ears.

“Harry,” Louis starts but Harry can hear the pity in his tone and he already hates it.

“Um, actually, I was calling to ask if we could postpone movie night anyway,” he lies. Lies through his teeth, because maybe this tiny white lie will hurt a little less than the truth.

“Oh?” Louis asks, “how come?” Harry doesn’t know how Louis can sound so nonchalant about being ditched, while Harry is jealous as fuck at the thought of Louis spending time with someone else other than him.

“Just, a friend from work told me about this movie. We thought maybe we’d watch it together.” He thanks Michelle in his head for providing him with a story to give Louis, because Harry’s a horrible liar on his own.

“Oh,” Louis says again, but it’s definitely not a question this time. “Like— Like a  _ date _ ?”

Harry laughs at the mere suggestion. “No. Not even close to a date.”

“It’s not Petra, is it?” Louis asks and Harry giggles as he remembers their conversation from a few weeks ago.

“No, it’s not Petra.”

Louis laughs over the line and Harry’s glad that all the tension between them seems to have dissipated. “Can we reschedule for tomorrow?”

Harry sighs. “Can’t. Parent/teacher conferences. Friday?”

“I… can’t,” Louis says slowly. “I, uh, I have a date on Friday.”

“Really?” Harry feels sick, his jealousy surging into a tidal wave, ready to wipe out cities in one fell swoop. “That’s great, Louis. I’m happy for you.”

“Well, I mean, it’s just a first date. Doesn’t mean anything will come of it,” Louis plays it off and Harry wishes it were that easy for  _ him _ to dismiss it. But this is Louis’ first date in ages, at least, as far as Harry knows.

“You deserve someone special, Lou. I hope it works out.” He does kind of, he loves Louis so much that Louis’ happiness is more important than his own selfishness. He wants Louis to be happy more than anything, so his words aren’t a total lie. Just another little white one.

“Yeah, thanks, H. Look, I gotta go,” Louis says quickly and Harry gets the feeling Niall and Liam are trying to rush him out the door.

“Okay, well, have a good time, Louis. I’ll see you Wednesday for our Skype date.” He winces at the word ‘date’ but doesn’t correct himself. He’s always called it that. It’s never hurt like this before though.

“Yeah, see you, Harry,” Louis hangs up and, for the first time in a long time, Harry feels truly alone. He walks home with his heart at his feet and it feels like with each step it’s getting stomped on and crushed into the dirt and gravel. Louis is moving on from him, leaving him behind while he moves forward with people that can actually be by his side.

Harry spends the night on his couch, eating ice cream and watching the movie that Michelle had suggested. It is a really good movie, just like she said, but that’s a cold comfort because he should be experiencing it with Louis, and he’s not.

*

Harry feels weird about waiting for Louis’ call on Wednesday. He’s actually made it home on time without having to run for once but he’s nervous. He’s never been nervous about talking to Louis before and it feels all kinds of wrong. He’s also starting to wonder if he’s been holding onto this friendship by his fingernails all this time without noticing and now they’re slowly losing grip, one by one. He doesn’t want to be responsible for holding Louis back from living his life.

He’s still got fifteen minutes until Louis’ supposed to call, so he changes into some joggers and tosses his shirt into the dirty clothes hamper without bothering to replace it. Deciding he needs a drink, he goes to his kitchen and gathers the ingredients for strawberry daiquiris, blending the ice and drink mix with two and half ounces of dragonberry flavored rum. He pours himself a drink and puts the rest in the freezer for later. He has a feeling he might need it.

It’s three minutes past five when Harry looks at the clock and his breath feels like it’s caught in his throat. He tells himself it’s okay. Louis is allowed to be a few minutes late. But he usually isn’t and that has Harry’s thoughts descending into a tailspin again. Is he holding onto to something he should be letting go of for his own selfish purposes? When Skype rings out to him at 5:07, he almost doesn’t answer, but then his hands move to accept the call of their own accord. Maybe it’s muscle memory, a reflex. Or maybe he’d simply be lost without Louis. The latter is a truth he doesn’t want to face.

“Hey, Haz,” Louis greets over the camera. He sounds jovial enough but his smile is slow coming. His gaze seems to be stuck on Harry’s chest.

“Hi, Lou,” Harry responds, waving at the camera in a subtle attempt to catch Louis’ attention. It works and Louis raises his head a fraction, his eyes finding Harry’s face. That’s when his smile shows up, devastating as always.

“Did you miss me?”

_ More than you know _ , Harry thinks. “Course, I did,” he says instead of giving voice to his traitorous thoughts. He smiles back and everything feels on the verge of okay.

“How was movie night with your friend?” Louis asks, and ‘okay’ gets just a little further away.

“It was… not as good as movie night with you,” Harry answers, and it’s the absolute truth.

Louis smiles and looks down, he appears to be pleased and Harry can’t help how happy that makes him.

“How was boys’ night?” Harry asks, half-afraid of the answer but not wanting to seem rude by not mentioning it.

Louis raises his head to aim that damning grin at Harry again. “Mmm, not as good as movie night with you.”

Harry’s the one smiling this time, his worries about their friendship slowly starting to ebb away. He was definitely taking the rejection too hard. It’s just so hard to know if he’s doing something wrong when they’re so far apart. “So you’ll be there for next week?” He checks, already feeling confident of the answer. 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Louis tells him and Harry trusts that he means it.  “So,” Louis says, changing the subject, “any big plans for tomorrow night?”

“You mean like a date?” Harry teases, his grin feels fragile though, but he assumes that by bringing up his date night, Louis is hinting that he wants to talk about it. “Nah. No date for me. I’ll just be sitting here, probably watching a telenovela and waiting for you to call me with the details of yours. I will be living vicariously. Speaking of… who is he? How did you meet?”

“Oh, I thought I was talking to Harry. Hi, mum. When did you get here?” Louis jokes.

“Shut up and tell me about him so I know whether to hate him or root for him,” Harry complains, though truthfully, he knows he’ll probably hate the guy no matter how amazing he seems.

“Well, which is it, mum? Shut up or tell you about him?” Louis’ smirk grows with each trip Harry takes stumbling over his words.

“Will you quit being a dick and tell me about your date, please?” Harry asks and it should bother him that he’s begging for information that he doesn’t actually want to know but Louis is playing around with him and things still  feel fragile at the moment so Harry just wants Louis to tell him so he can figure out what to feel.

“Ok, ok,” Louis acquiesces, finally. “His name is Jackson. We met when I was taking photographs of a movie premiere at Leicester Square for the paper. And he asked me out for this weekend. That’s really all there is to tell.”

“Is he an actor?” Harry asks, curiosity pulling at his core. He needs to know who this guy is. If he’s going to have Louis’ heart. Harry wants to know that he deserves it.

“Nope. He’s a tattoo artist. He was tagging along with a friend.”

Harry pauses, taking in what Louis’ told him. “He was someone’s  _ date _ ? Louis, how do you know he isn’t actually dating them? And he’s cheating on them with you?”

Louis sighs with a shake of his head. “Knew I shouldn’t have mentioned that part.” He takes a breath and looks Harry in the eyes, as well as he can on a web cam anyway. “He asked me out right in front of them, Harry. If they are in a relationship, it’s an open one.”

Harry’s face scrunches, not because he’s judging but because he doesn’t think he could ever share the person he loves with someone else, not when they’re actually together. “And you’d be okay with that? Being with someone in an open relationship?”

“Of course not, Haz. We both know I’m possessive as fuck.” Louis pinches the bridge of his nose and Harry can tell that he’s starting to get irritated. “But that’s what first dates are for, innit? To figure all this stuff out, see if you’re compatible.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Harry answers, still not quite comfortable with what Louis might be walking into. “Sorry, Louis. I didn’t mean to ruin it for you.”

Louis’ gaze is soft when he looks at Harry again. “You didn’t, Haz. I know you’re just worried about me. I get it. But I’ll be fine, alright?”

“Yeah, okay,” Harry nods.

“Alright, sorry for cutting this short but I’m knackered,” Louis says, running a hand through his hair as a yawn catches him off-guard, giving credence to his excuse. “Talk to you tomorrow? I’ll call you as soon as I get home.”

“Please do,” Harry agrees. “I need to know you got home alright.

Louis rolls his eyes but there’s a smile on his lips. “Worrywart.”

“Goodnight, Louis,” Harry sing-songs like he didn’t hear that.

“Night, Haz,” Louis says, signing off.

Harry finishes his daiquiri and goes to get another, settling in on his couch for a long night with Netflix and ignoring reality.

*

Harry is antsy. He’s been home for an hour and he’s pacing the floor waiting for Louis’ call. It’s about 11:30 over there, shouldn’t his date be over by now? A gentleman would have had him home by now. Unless… what if his date  _ wasn’t _ a gentleman? Not everyone would hold themselves to the same standards as Harry does. What if he wined and dined Louis, and wined him some more and lured him home with him? Harry freezes in the middle of his current circuit through his living room because  _ what if Louis chose to go home with him _ ? What if Louis liked him so much that he just couldn’t stay away, didn’t want to?

Harry groans and fists his hands in his hair. He can’t take this. He shouldn’t be doing this to himself anyway. Louis is perfectly capable of taking care of himself and it’s not like Harry has  _ any _ right to be jealous of what he does or doesn’t do. He really needs to chill out.

He should take a bath. He nods to himself at the thought. A bath sounds nice. He takes a step towards the bathroom.

Wait. A bath would still give his mind time to wander off in dangerous directions. He needs something to keep his mind off of Louis. He wouldn’t be able to absorb himself in a book, not the way he’s feeling, and television wouldn’t capture his attention. When he thinks about it, there’s really only one thing to do. He needs a nap.

Harry goes to the kitchen, pulls a bottle of spiced rum from the cabinet and pours himself a shot. It’s nasty stuff and he doesn’t normally drink it because he hates the taste, but it always leaves a warm feeling in his belly and helps him drift off when he can’t sleep. He downs it, cringes at the burn, and leaves the shotglass in the sink as he heads to his room, stripping off his clothes as he goes. He places his cell phone carefully on his bedside table, making sure it’s plugged in and charging so that it will be ready when Louis calls, then he climbs into bed naked and tangles himself in the cool sheets.

Harry tosses and turns for a bit, sleep feeling like a much more remote possibility now that he’s in bed. It takes a while but eventually he starts feeling a little dozy and he considers having a lazy wank as sleepiness sets in. His hand is halfway to his cock before he decides that he doesn’t actually have the energy and leaves his hand resting on his stomach instead, drifting off pretty quickly after that.

*

Harry is jolted awake by the sound of his phone ringing. He doesn’t register it at first as his heart races and he feels like he’s woken up late for something. He reaches for his phone to check the time and only once he sees twenty-year old Louis’ face smiling up at him, does he realize that Louis is calling him. He accepts the call immediately, noticing as he does so that it’s been nearly two hours. It’s almost two in the morning for Louis. Harry immediately fears the worst.

“Lou?” He answers, feeling breathless with worry. “Is everything okay?”

“HAZ!” Louis shouts cheerfully in his ear. “You answered.”

“Louis?” Harry can feel that something is off with Louis already. “Are you… are you drunk?”

Louis laughs like Harry’s just said the most hilarious thing. Harry is not feeling all that much like laughing along, unfortunately. “Mmm,” Louis hums when his laughter dies down, “Niall took me out for drinks after my date.”

“What? Why?” Harry doesn’t like the sound of any of this. “Did something happen, Lou?”

“I mean, lots of things have happened, Harry. You’ll have to be more specific,” Louis jokes and Harry really wishes he wouldn’t right now, a dull sense of panic settling in his chest.

“Did something go wrong with your date, Louis? Did-,” Harry can barely form the words to ask. “Did he hurt you?”

“Aww, you worried about me, Hazza?” Louis coos. “That’s so sweet.  _ You’re _ so sweet. I love that about you.”

Harry smiles a little. He thinks Louis is okay. Not that he would admit if he weren’t but Harry thinks he’s learned to read his best friend pretty well over the years. “I’m glad, Lou. But why did Niall have to take you out for drinks after your date?” A thought suddenly hits Harry and it’s as much a punch to the gut as it is a salve for his troubled thoughts. “Was it a celebration? Did the date go well?”

“Oh. No,” Louis answers definitively, surprising Harry with how absolute it sounds. “The date went  _ horribly _ .” It’s almost comical, the way Louis emphasizes the ‘horribly’ but Harry is too busy feeling a flood of relief to be amused. “Jackson was sweet, and pretty. But he has blond hair.”

“What?” Harry finally finds the will to laugh at something, simply because he wasn’t expecting  _ that  _ to be the reason Louis’ date was bad. He’d ask questions but Louis’ still rambling on drunkenly.

“And it’s short and straight. Not a curl in sight. Not even a hint of one.”

Harry feels his heart clench at Louis’ words and his smile freezes on his face, slowly melting away with each new reason Louis utters.

“And his eyes are  _ brown _ , Haz. I spent all night hoping that somehow, magically, I would look up and there would be green eyes looking back at me,” Louis sounds a bit more sober but also muffled, like he’s changing his clothes or something. Louis just keeps talking though and Harry doesn’t know if he has the willpower to stop him. “And his tattoos are all wrong,” Louis’ breath whooshes out against the speaker and Harry can hear the faint squeaking that Louis’ mattress always makes when he throws himself down on it. “ _ He _ was all wrong, Haz.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry says, a strange sensation like floating filling his stomach and chest. “I’m sorry he was all wrong, Lou.”

Louis breathes into the phone and doesn’t say anything. For a second, Harry wonders if he’s fallen asleep now that he’s in bed but then, “Can we Skype, Harry?” Louis asks and it feels almost timid. “I need to see you.”

“Yeah, Lou. Of course,” Harry answers. He’s never been able to deny Louis anything and he doesn’t want to anyway.

Harry’s fortunate he left his computer in his room last night, he doesn’t have to go far to get it. Which is also lucky because Skype is ringing for him as soon as he hangs up on the phone with Louis. He doesn’t even have time to pull on a pair of pants so he settles back in his blankets, covering his naked body with his sheets before he answers, computer on the bed next to him.

Louis is mirroring his position when the picture comes up on the screen, chin resting in his palm, lying on his side as he smiles at Harry’s image, chest bare and gaze loving. “Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Louis tells him and Harry can feel Louis’ gaze like a touch, roaming over every visible inch of him.  “God, you’re so gorgeous, Harry.” He reaches out and it looks like he’s tracing his fingers over his screen. Harry thinks he can feel that too, goosebumps springing up on his flesh in the wake of the phantom touch.

“Louis… what’s going on here?” Harry asks hesitantly, needing for Louis to tell him what he wants to hear but also terrified of breaking this fragile moment of promise. He licks his lips and sees Louis’ eyes track the movement a second later on his screen, mouth falling open like it’s ready and waiting. Harry carefully navigates on. “On the phone, you said… you said the reason your date went badly was because he was all wrong. What did you mean by that, Lou?” His heart is in his throat, his lungs feel frail, like if he breathes too harshly they’ll blow apart, little pieces carried away in his bloodstream. Which is fine because Harry’s not entirely sure he’s breathing right now anyway.

Instead of answering, Louis groans, hiding his face in his hands. Harry can barely make out the “I’m so embarrassed,” that Louis moans into his hands. Thankfully he lifts his head to continue and Harry realizes that maybe, in his own drunken way, Louis  _ is _ answering his question. “That’s why Niall took me to the pub. I spent all night so embarrassed. I mean, how do you tell your date that he’s perfectly lovely but you’ve been imagining someone else in his seat all night?”

Harry swallows, feeling a desperate urge to reach out, instead he bites his lip and waits Louis out.

“I wanted you there so badly, Haz,” Louis tells him, reaching for the screen again like if he can just touch it, he’ll be able to reach through, run his fingers over Harry’s skin like he looks desperate to do. He stops halfway there, apparently realizing that that’s not the case, drops his hand to the bed, his gaze following. “S’why I haven’t been on a date in forever. Because I keep wanting it to be the one person it never is.”

“Louis,” Harry has that swoopy feeling his belly. The one you get when you’re in an elevator or when you go over a hill in a car really fast and for just a second, you know that not a single tire is on the ground. 

Louis’ paying him no mind now though, rolling over onto his back, eyes closed as he runs a small, delicate hand down the column of his throat and over his chest. “Think about you all the time, Haz. Think about kissing you, think about those massive hands touching me all over.”

Harry thinks maybe he’s still dreaming when he sees Louis tweak one of his nipples right there on his screen, his other hand slipping under his covers.

“Fuck,” Harry whispers, feeling his own cock growing heavy between his legs. “Louis,” he says louder, amazed at how calm and in control he sounds when he’s got a tornado of emotions pulling up the floorboards in his mind. He doesn’t want to stop Louis, he wants every moment of Louis telling him his fantasies of the two of them together, but he also doesn’t want anything to happen that Louis might hate him for tomorrow. “Babe, you’re a little intoxicated. I don’t want you to do anything you’re gonna regret in the morning.”

Louis looks pained as he stops playing with his nipples, the subtle movement of his arm under his duvet ceasing as well as he turns to the screen. Eyes glassy and pupils blown, he asks, “Will you regret it, H?  Seeing me like this? Knowing I was thinking of you as I touched myself?” His arm moves up and down once, a single stroke of his cock that nearly has Harry choking.

Harry swallows, mouth feeling too fucking dry. “No, Lou. Not a second of it. God, I’ve thought about you too. So much.”

Louis smiles at Harry’s words, “Good.” And then he rolls over onto his side again, facing Harry and throwing off his blankets and pushing back his computer so that Harry can see every bare inch of his flesh.

God, he thought Louis was at least wearing pants.

Louis wraps his hand back around his cock and smirks. “Prove it.”

“Louis, I—”

“Do you want me, Harry?” Louis asks, tone pleading as his hand starts stroking slowly. Harry is mesmerized. He’s not even aware that he’s moving until he feels his own fingers graze over his fully hard dick.

“Always,” he answers, taking himself in hand. He doesn’t move to get himself off. He’s waiting for something. Maybe permission, maybe certainty. “I always want you, Louis. Always have.”

Louis closes his eyes at Harry’s answer like he’s savoring it. “Please, Harry,” he begs, rolling onto his back and giving Harry a better view of what he’s doing to his cock.

“What do you need, Louis?” Harry licks his lips as he watches, wishing he were there, right next to Louis, wanting to put his mouth on him, to taste everything. “I’m right here. What can I do?”

Louis turns just his head and stares at Harry imploringly, “Wanna see you. Show me, Harry. Show me how much you want me.”

Harry gives his dick a squeeze at the base. He’s not entirely certain he couldn’t come just from hearing Louis beg for him.  He moves slowly but surely, pushing his sheets away and moving until he can see himself holding his dick in his hand on the computer screen.

He’s unbelievably hard and Louis gasps at the sight of him. “Haz.  _ Damn,  _ baby. I want that in me,” Louis moans, moving his hand faster on his dick. “Come for me, Harry? Come  _ with _ me?”

“Yeah. Yeah,” Harry breathes. He wants to. He wants to give Louis everything he needs and then some. Harry starts moving his hand at Louis’ invitation, slowly at first, but with increasing urgency as Louis moans his name.  From the noises Louis is making, Harry knows he needs to catch up fast if they’re going to finish together. Or… he could slow Louis down, make him delay his gratification.

“Slow down, Lou,” Harry says, at first just to see if Louis will listen. He doesn’t, the stubborn bastard, whining about how he needs in a way that makes Harry’s knees quiver. “Wanna come with you, baby,” Harry tells him, stroking himself slowly, hand tight, grip firm. “Need you to wait for me.”

Louis’ eyes plead with him even as his hand slows down and another whine escapes his parted lips. “I was so close, Haz. Please,  _ please _ let me come,” Louis cries out, breathing heavy as he watches Harry get himself close too.

Being asked for permission gives Harry a dark little thrill and he speeds up his hand. “Soon, baby. Just let me—” The sensation building in his core suddenly flourishes, spreading everywhere and making his toes curl. “Come, Louis,” he breathes, “You can come.”

“Thank you,” Louis whispers like a prayer as he stops keeping himself on edge and brings himself off. Coming over his fist almost at the exact same moment that Harry does. Eyes squeezing shut as he rides out the waves of pleasure.

Harry tosses his head back against his pillow and stares up at his ceiling. He’s pretty sure this has been the greatest night of his life. “That was amazing, Louis,” he says after giving them both a minute to recover, still breathing heavy, turning to look back at the screen.

Louis is much closer to the computer now, Harry can only see his head and shoulders, face snuffling into his mattress as he drifts sleepily. Harry can’t stop a small grin at how cute he looks.

“Louis?” Harry asks quietly, knowing full well that the other man is asleep. As expected, he gets no answer, this time Harry is the one reaching out to touch his computer screen, caressing the image of his best friend’s sleeping face with his clean hand. “Please don’t regret this,” he begs in a whisper, letting his hand fall back down to the bed. 

He stares at Louis longingly for another few seconds before forcing himself up from the bed to clean himself off. When he gets back, Louis is still there, sleeping peacefully, but now he’s got his covers swaddled around him. Harry grins and lays down in bed too. He can’t go to sleep now or he won’t be able to when it’s actually bedtime so he grabs a pair of pants and pulls them on, climbing into bed and tucking his legs under his sheets, picking up the book he typically keeps on his night stand and letting himself get absorbed in it. 

On the computer screen, Louis sleeps on. Harry leaves it running, not wanting to hang up and have Louis feeling like he snuck away the morning after. Harry wants all the mornings, every last one of them. Maybe when Louis wakes up, he’ll let Harry prove it to him.

*

Louis is still passed out when Harry wakes up in the morning. He isn’t even worried, he just shakes his head with a quiet laugh. Louis likes his sleep so far be it for Harry to deny him even though it is in the afternoon for Louis.

His stomach rumbles and Harry decides to get up and get himself some food while Louis slumbers on. Still smiling, Harry searches for a blank piece of paper and a black marker from his desk and writes a little note.

**If I’m not here when you wake up, good afternoon x. And call me tonight.**

He draws a little heart at the end for good measure, just in case Louis has any doubts about Harry’s sincerity during their… Holy shit, they had Skype sex.

Harry  _ had sex _ with Louis, virtual sex, but still... _ sex _ . It’s really only just now hitting him. He’d been all wrapped up in the confessions and emotions and… wow.

His smile is a little more smug as he sets the note up where he can tell Louis will be able to see it when he wakes. He hopes he notices it and doesn’t just snap his computer closed like the grump Harry knows he can be when he first wakes up.

Harry walks to his kitchen with hurried steps and makes a quick fruit salad to eat, hurrying back to his room to have breakfast in bed. He kind of wants to be there when Louis wakes up. Now that he’s aware of Louis’ feelings, he’s not going to shy away from this.

He eats slowly, picking up his book again so he won’t stare at his computer screen like a creep. His eyes keep glancing that way over his book without his permission though so as soon as he’s done eating, he puts his bowl down on the night table and walks to the bathroom, turning on the water in the shower and waiting impatiently for it to warm. He slips off his pants when it’s ready and makes himself take his time as he washes. He ends up relishing the warm water and the way it seems to help the tension in his shoulders melt away.

When he comes out of the bathroom, towel around his waist and another wrapped up in his hair, Louis is gone from his screen. It’s just a black screen telling him that the call has ended.  He bites his thumbnail and tries not to see that as a bad omen.

When Louis hasn’t called him by their usual call time that night, Harry takes a leap and calls him instead.

“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this,” Niall answers Louis’ phone. Again. Harry sighs. This can’t be a good sign.

“Niall, did Louis tell you to answer his phone?” Harry asks, trying not to panic. What if Louis regrets everything? What if he was just drunk and horny and none of what they did meant anything to him? Harry can already feel a fissure in his heart, ready to crack open at any second.

“No?” Niall tells him, sounding curious as hell. “Why would he? He’s paying the pizza dude.”

“The pi-,  _ you’re hanging out with Louis tonight _ ?”  Harry can hear the stringent note to his tone.

“Yes?” He suspects Niall can, too.

Harry is about to panic. Why is Louis hanging out with Niall right now? Is he seeking comfort for the  _ massive mistake _ he thinks he’s made? Was he planning on talking to Harry at all or just avoiding him for the rest of his life?

Harry takes a breath and forces himself to calm down. He knows he has a tendency to get dramatic, especially when it comes to Louis. “Is there a reason you’re hanging out with Louis tonight?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m just being a pal and reminding him that he’s not a failure. He got really drunk at the bar last night and was telling anyone who would listen about his horrible date and how he really wanted to be with— Shit, nevermind,” Niall cuts himself off abruptly and Harry makes a strangled noise of protest.

“Who?” Harry asks.

“What? Nothing. I didn’t say anything,” Niall tries to play dumb.

“ _ Who’s that, Niall _ ?” Harry can hear Louis ask.

“It’s Haz.”

“ _ What? Give me the phone _ .”

Harry’s not sure if it should, but the fact that Louis wants to talk to him soothes his nerves somewhat.

“Okaaay. Bye, Haz. Fair warning, Louis’ being weird.”

“ _ Give me that _ ,” Louis hisses and Harry almost laughs. “ _ Here, take the pizza and get out _ .”

“ **_Whoo! Free pizza!_ ** ” Niall shouts as he, presumably, leaves. Harry does laugh at that.

“Harry, hi,” Louis says, sounding more breathless than Harry thinks is necessary from wrangling the phone from Niall when there’s food in the equation.

“Hey, Lou,” Harry answers with a smile. “Were you going to call me tonight?”

“Was I supposed to?” Louis asks, sounding confused.

“I mean, I just… thought we should talk about last night. That’s why I left you that note this morning.”

“What about last night?” Louis asks, sounding nervous, but before Harry can answer, he’s continuing with “Wait, that was a note?”

“Yeah? I left it where I knew you could read it.”

“Oh. I guess I just thought it was you being weird. I mean, why would you leave me a backwards note?” Louis chuckles lightly and it’s got nerves ringing through it.

“Backwards? I—” Harry is about to deny the accusation but he realizes, when he thinks about it, that he only checked the location of the note on his screen, not the readability. “Shit.”

Louis laughs again and this one seems a little stronger. “It’s alright, Curly. We’re talking now, yeah? No harm done?”

“No, I guess not,” Harry decides, taking a deep breath and diving into the conversation he knows they need to have. “So, about last night.” He can hear Louis’ sharp inhale but it doesn’t deter him from soldiering on. “Last night meant everything to me. And I meant every word I said. I do want you, Louis. I— I love you. And I  _ really _ hope you meant it too because I don’t know if I can go back to the way things were.”

“I did,” Louis is speaking the second Harry takes a breath and Harry is glad of it. “I meant everything, too. I’ve been in love with you for so fucking long.”

Harry’s glad he’s at home and not out in public because he probably looks like a lunatic with the strength of his smile and the way his eyes are watering. “So, what are we going to do about this?”

“Have lots and lots of phone sex,” Louis answers immediately, much to Harry’s delight.

“And Skype sex,” he adds.

“Oh, yeah. Skype sex is a must,” Louis agrees. “God, Haz, your cock is a thing of beauty.”

Harry giggles. “Yours is pretty nice too.”

“Are we gonna be okay?” Louis asks, suddenly, sounding much more serious. “Long distance boyfriends?”

“We’ll be fine, Louis,” Harry assures him. “We’ve made it five years as long distance  _ best friends _ . And I’m even more determined now that I get to call myself your boyfriend. Besides, my contract in Mexico is up in a few months, and then I can live wherever. I hear London is lovely in the summer.”

“What a feeling it’ll be,” Louis says wistfully, “to have you here beside me.”

“Soon, baby,” Harry promises. “Very soon.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you liked this. If you did, here's a [rebloggable fic post](http://suddenclarityharry.tumblr.com/post/165188324177/baby-im-right-here-8186-words-by) so you can spread the word.


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